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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tardy Realization


Guys, thanks a ton for liking this post a lot! Am really happy today! Know what? I received good comments plus my blogger friend Shilpa Sharma gave me the Superior Scribbler Award for this post! She thinks this post of mine is the most deserving post for this award. Thanks-a-ton Shilpa!Click here to read that post.

This post has been selected by blogadda for Spicy Saturday Picks. Click here to read a post about it.

diary

December 20th, 1991

I got up soon this morning. Stood near my wife's photo and prayed for sometime. I myself prepared a can of juice. My daughter-in-law gave a very little breakfast - a slice of bread and quarter cup of tea. Whereas the dog gets 3 sandwiches and a full glass of milk. She asked me not to sit and waste time and asked me to water the garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of juice that I had been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the juice aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I realize the juice is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the juice, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye. They need to be watered. I set the juice down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: the driveway is flooded the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of juice sitting on the counter, there is still only one check in my check book, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. Nobody knows that recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. My daughter-in-law tells my son that am fit for nothing. My son don't bother about my health, wish my wife was near me in this old age. I want her to be my companion in these old ages, but fate had something in its store for me. I don't know how long I will live. But God, my son should be very happy. He should be bestowed with all the wealth. God, my son shouldn't be left in a old-age home by my grand children, like what my son Alok is planning. He can't tolerate this loneliness. I want my son to have all the happiness in this world. My 15 year old grand-son looks at me with tears in his eyes. I feel his love for me. But when will my son realize my love for him? Through my grandson I learnt that Alok enrolled my name in an old age home. He felt me to be a burden. What more should I write? My hands are trembling now. After penning down all these, I feel relaxed. Diary has been my best companion after my wife's demise. I can hear something now. Yes, my daughter-in-law is calling me to do some work.

Sign

September 30th, 2009

Devraj, Alok's dad couldn't digest the fact that Alok thought him as a burden. He attained God's abode on December 22nd, 1991.

Drops of water fell on the yellowing papers of the diary and Alok felt it in the moistened paper. Quickly Alok removed the tissue from his pocket and prevented the water to blot the paper. He found this diary in a wooden trunk which once belonged to his dad. Alok whimpered, "Am really sorry dad. Wish I should have taken care of you properly. I could have given the best treatments for you. I Shouldn't have listened my wife that time and enrolled you in Old age home. At that time, we were pondering the reason's for your sudden death. Now I understood the reason behind it. Everything has gone out of my hands then. Even my wife, no your Daughter-in-law realized her fault in her death-bed...". A shrill voice, brought him back to reality. It demanded, "Hey dad, what you are doing? Go and help my wife or else I should get your name enrolled in an Old- Age Home. Don't make me shout dad, i have got works". Its his son. He wiped the rolling tears and kept the diary in his dad's trunk and locked it. Came out of the room and headed towards kitchen thinking, "My wife should have treated dad like this"...

"AS YOU SOW SO SHALL YOU REAP."

dream_001_fortune_cookie

This may be a fiction. But its happening everywhere, Old Age homes are becoming the dwelling for many aged one's. The reason is, we forget all the good deeds our parents did to us. I wrote this after witnessing a real incident that took place in my neighborhood few days back. Take a pledge today - 'I will make my parents feel secure in their old age. I will take care of them with utmost care'. Love your parents and get the best blessings anyone can shower you with.

I love you dad! I love you mom!!

With Love,

Shruti-Logo

Image Courtesy : Google Images

107 comments:

Prads said...

Nice really super da..
good msg for ppl like our age...

Take CAre ur parents plzzzzzzzzz
without them we are not into this world....

Luv u MAA And PAA...

Shurts super funny way to say a old man's days out..
i really like to read it

Keep rocking

Regards,
Prasee

Shruti said...

@Prasee
Thanks :)
Funny way?! I thought this as a serious post!!

Anu...:) said...

True.
This happens...children grow up and parents look at them hopefully that yes,our children will take care of us..but their hopes are crashed when the children turn around and ask them "What have you ever done for us?".Perhaps,the children don't see how much struggle and pains the parents underwent to see their children to grow up into happy and successful persons.Thats not too much to ask,is it?

Anu...:) said...

Oops! And forgot to mention,very nice post! Nice way you presented the whole issue,it went straight to the heart!
:)

HaRy!! said...

Yeah Shruti...really touching post... unaku theriyuma...my great grandma is still in old age because her son is ruled by his wife and she does not want my grandma in her house! i still have her pic in my mobile and cry sometimes..wails that i cant do anything!!!
Have read so many stories as such, but yu brought this in a very decent innovative way... but ana solu most of us once we get a job abroad we leav our country, folks back home...wat do ppl do for that? leav back career! includes me as well!! I wud leav behind to go back for my folks, but have seen ppl never doing that!..kutti blog i wrote here..hope yu dont mind..cya..keep it up pa!

Aditya Kasavaraju said...

Sweetest post. You brought out the emotions very well :)

Shruti said...

@Anu
Many of us fail to do that! Our parents do so much for us. But what do we do? What are we doing in returns for their favor?
Its nothing!!
The people in old age home recites the saddest part of their life when their children ill-treat them.

Shruti said...

@Anu
Went straight to your heart eh?!
Thanks re :)

Shruti said...

@Hary
so sad!! Once you come 2 India, be with her. You will feel relaxed and worry not! I love my mom n dad so much. I wanted to give them the bests of everything! But my mom passed away when i was in 3rd yr. She didn't even see me getting a job in an MNC! Fate has churned the story in different ways!!

""yu brought this in a very decent innovative way""
Thanks Hary!
leaving out career is difficult! Cos, they have toiled all these years to give the best of education which earned us this job! So when we are with them, in our home, we must feel them secure..

I like ur kutti blog..errr...Kutti comment!

Shruti said...

@Adi
Thanks Buddy!!

lostworld said...

All said and done, parents do just about ANYTHING for their children.

The least we can do is be there by their side when they need us and comfort and give them love.

Very touching post..

Shruti said...

@Lostworld
""The least we can do is be there by their side when they need us and comfort and give them love""
Very true!! But most of us fail to do that!

Raji U said...

Touch pannita shruthi!! Thats on a lighter note but frankly I see my grandfather in that place. He lived like a king literally with 9 sons for him to boss around and do the work for him. He had 9 daughter-in-laws who feared him as he walked past the house which was a huge joint family. Sadly, after my grandma died, he is left all alone. All the brothers have separated and unwilling to take care of him. Atleast some son(my father) tries to keep him with him and take care of him. Eventhough this happen my grandpa doesn't want to be with us but rather be with youngest son's place where my grandma left her last breath. Sad but true. I love him and I love my dad for always being there to do his duties. Thank god my mom is better than the other.

Sorry about the long comment but tears are flowing down the face when I think about it.

Love
Raji

Shruti said...

@Raji
I kindled all your buried thoughts! its really sad! When a man lose his wife, he literally loses everything (Am speaking about those who have single lovely wife).
Its really sad that noone of them kept ur grandpa with them, except ur dad!! kudos 2 ur dad!

HaRy!! said...

Am so sorry for yu :( , am sorry that i reminded stuff...sorry again indeeeeed! :( .. Value of the person can be realised only during their absence... take care very very well.

Anonymous said...

Really like this story. I had known a person who suffered at hands of her children and now she's gone. Old people want nothing but some attention and love, shame on us if we can not even give that.

shilpa

Amit Kumar Singh said...

Really a very touching post..
Even to think such incidents, I get shivered how one can do such things... :)
loved your post... :)
Keep writing :)
Cheers!!

Vipul Grover said...

Hey Shruti, a very intelligent post. Really liked the way u described the AAADD condition in the frst part of the post.
In my Rotaract days, I used to visit Old age homes many times and heard sch stories too oftn.
Keep up d good wrk. Looking fwd 2 read more sch posts on ur blog.

Anonymous said...

You have brought out very sensitive issue.... U know what my sister had been to one old age home once and was startled to see the condition the senior citizens were.... she really felt bad and still keeps a picture of her and a cheerful old lady who was with all smiles and no complaints about her children inspite of her own sorry state....

Guria said...

you know sometimes for some old people who need someone of their age to talk to, otherwise live alone etc. stay in old age homes. Those ones are really not the dreary ones we usually visualise but are truly awesome. And not all the people who live there are forsaken. their children still love them and all.

But, yes, making your old father or mother work is really terrible.


Liked the post very much.
Thanks for the insight, dear.

Love, G.

Shruti said...

@Hary
Hey buddy!!
Even if you dint remind me, am always preoccupied with these thoughts! So no worries!!
Cheer up!!

Shruti said...

@Shilpa
Everyone really witnessed such atrocious happenings in our surroundings!!
That lady passed away?!
Migh!!! Pity her. may her soul RIP

Shruti said...

@Amit
Yes amit! These are spine chilling! But, people are abandoning their parents!!

Thanks a ton!! :)

Anonymous said...

hey shruti gimme some time....
i am travelling and has read the post in a real jiffy...
gimme some time to actually comment....

NÎ±ÎœŃ”Ń”Î· said...

nice thoughts !! ..very beautifully presented ... heart touching fiction :)

Shruti said...

@Vipsy ;)
Welcome to my blog after a long time!! Whenever my post impresses you (Atleast a bit), i find your comments!!
Hmmm.. thanks :)

AAADD is the condition which we can witness in many old people. Even i have seen different sects of people when i have visited those homes!!

""Looking fwd 2 read more sch posts on ur blog""
Whoa!! I feel really responsible now!!

Shruti said...

@Dmanji
yes yes yes very true!!
I have seen people who enroll themselves in old age home demanding their child's privacy. I wrote about the situations when these old people are abandoned. There are so many perspectives of this issue!

Shruti said...

@Guria
As i told in Dmanji's comment

""I have seen people who enroll themselves in old age home demanding their child's privacy. I wrote about the situations when these old people are abandoned. There are so many perspectives of this issue""

I highlighted just a part of it! Making old people work is a real terrible thing!

Thank you so much!!

Shruti said...

@RSV
Hey take your own time, read it patiently and then if you like it, comment!! :)

Shruti said...

@Naveen
Hey thanks a ton yaar!! Its a honor for me :)

Chetan Maheshwari said...

hey ver well written, and yes this message is most needed to this generation, influenced by money and greed

alas, i am also of same generatioin (lol)

Shruti said...

@chetan
Hey yo!
Thanks!! Don't do like these generations!!

Siddhesh Kabe said...

the story is really touchy...and very sad too...

wow...superb.

Shruti said...

@Sid!
Thanks, thanks and many thanks :)

Pramoda Meduri said...

HI Shruti,

Yet to read two interesting posts..will be back for sure..

Shruti said...

prams!!
come back soon and read!!
my blog missing ur comments :)

Indian Pundit said...

Great post Shruti.
Touched my heart.

Brilliant.

i loved the way u described it.

Cheers and i am sure u will be an excellent daughter-in-law....right?

Shruti said...

@IP
Touched punditji's heart?! Then it must be a good one :)

Thank you, thank you and many more thanks to you :)

I don't know whether i will be excellent! But i will see my MIL n FIL as my dad n mom! Problem reduced :)

Thanks :)

Kay said...

Could you possibly manage to make me swell with emotion any faster? i don't think so.

the first journel entry made me laugh, as at the age of 30 that is EXACTLY how my days seem to go by

but then you unleash the fact of how we get so caught up in our own lives that we do 'forget' about the loved ones around us.

I am confident I will be in a home, and wish my parents to not.

Great read, great write!

Shruti said...

@kay
I made you to swell with emotions eh?!
Real honor for me!!

Hehehe!! :)
""Great read, great write""
Great comment too!!

Neha said...

shruti, awesome post...I want people to read this...is it ok with u if I put a link of this post in my next post? just leave a comment on my blog and let me know...tc..

Anonymous said...

Too good girl.. loved it.. nice message you are trying to convey.. parents sacrifice their own needs to make sure their kids get everything and when the time comes for repayment, children dont repay.. which is kinda sad.. this happened with my own grandfather :(( it's too sad!!!!!

Pinpaks said...

Such a poignant post.

It is sadly true. This is a growing reality.. no more fiction.

I remember once visiting an old age home as part of a school trip and coming back and telling my dad "lets never put grandpa in an old age home" honest. It sucks.

It is pathetic if you have options available and you still want to leave your parents in an old age home, just 'cos you dont have the patience. It is rightly said that old age is another kind of childhood. I have experienced it first hand with my grandpa - but we never thought of leaving him in a hospital or old age home.. It is not the same for everyone.

Rauf said...

good one.. the serious of events in the first para is brilliantly conceived..

Vishnu said...

nenja thoteenga.. devraj's diary entry was jus superb.. it would hav been better if u had ended ur post there..

Madman said...

The theme of the story was good there is one story where A son gives a clay pot for eating food outside his house to his father as his grandson watches it and say " say that father that will be of help when you attains grandpa's age".

I found the narration bit jarring due to the mixed tenses. It would have been better if it was past tense or past continuous was used. You better stick to one tense.

for example " I got up soon this morning"
you start off with past tense

then "Whereas the dog gets 3 sandwiches and a full glass of milk" tense has changed to present.

once again "Drops of water fell on the yellowing papers of the diary" you switched back to past tense

since here the letter is a self narration you cant use present tense as you are describing the past events and not the one happening now.

However if you have chose to narrate as a 3rd person you can use present tense as he describes as it happens.

So if you want achieve that in a 1st person narrative past continuous is the real deal.

Bharathi said...

Though I could track down what son is gonna get, I am impressed by your narration. Its very creative and kept me hooked on. Good one pal. Keep up the good work.

Shruti said...

@Neha
This is a real honor for me!! Thank you so much Neha!!
Am really elated!

Shruti said...

@Avada
Am trying to convey it! But don't know how far it will reach!
Many people are doing it! Old people are abandoned everywhere! :( :(

Shruti said...

@Ro
Thank you!!
""lets never put grandpa in an old age home""
How many of them are this much caring!? Very rare! In this materialistic world, parents in old age are treated as another material they come across!!

:)

Shruti said...

@Abdul
Welcome back!!

Thanks a lot!

Shruti said...

@Vishnu
Romba nandri!!
I didn't stop there. because i wanted to stress the point 'As you sow, so shall you reap'

Shruti said...

@Venky
Thanks!
Grammar mistakes eh? I noted that in Devraj's diary entry. but since he is prescribed with AAADD he is not aware of anything! I wrote it like that. Past-tense, present tense everything is mixed because, i wrote it like a old-man's diary and not as Shruti.

In second instance, drops of water.. Alok is reading it, and the water fell-->past tense, it brought him back to reality-->present tense!
This is how i churned out the story!

""I found the narration bit jarring""
Sorry for that!!

Shruti said...

@Bharathi
""I am impressed by your narration""
Thank you so much for all those praising words!!

You got hooked up eh?!
That's something!

Madman said...

@ Shruthi

Fair enough

but as far as the second part is concerned i did not mean the timline but the tense you have written in. That whole part was in past tense including what you say brings him back to the present.

Shruti said...

@Venky
Point noted your honor!
Thanks for your explanation!

Prashansa said...

Nice post Shruti! Very good description of the day's work grandpa is going thro'!

Madman said...

@ Shruti

Are u pissed off i am sorry then

Shruti said...

@Venky
Hey, adhellam illa pa!!
No sorries please! I wanted to tell you that i took your points!
Nobody can comment so frankly!

Thanks :)

Shruti said...

@Pra
Thank you pra!!

Makk said...

what to say i dont know

I hope our lives wont face such things...in future.

Shruti said...

@Makk
You don't know what to tell ??? :O

Hoping is what we can do at present!

Neha said...

my current post has been read by almost all...will put this link on my next post...this one deserves it..thank u for sharing...tc :)

Shruti said...

@Neha
Thank you so much re!! Am honored!!
Thanks again!!

Samadrita said...

Honestly Shruti I feel that such unworthy sons or daughter should be criminally prosecuted for mistreating their parents.Too bad there's no such law.
It sucks!
How come people forget the care,attention and unconditional love with which their parents brought them up?How can they ever?

Nice post.

P.S:Officially stalking you from now on.Hoping you'll stalk me too. :D

Pramoda Meduri said...

HI Shruti,

Thank You sooo much for this heart touching post..loved it to the core..

yeah, parents should be treated very sensitively especially in their old age...they are indeed the mose struggled people for our sake in the universe..and yaa they shower the wishes of love on us like no one else..

goos to know ur oath..keep it up dear..AGain, loved this sensitive write up..

Shruti said...

@Samaradita
Welcome to my blog!
Criminal prosecution eh? Tat's a good idea too! But who will take an initiative for all these?!!

""How come people forget the care,attention and unconditional love with which their parents brought them up?How can they ever?""
That's what I too wonder!!

P.S: Will officially stalk you too!!

Shruti said...

@Prams
""parents should be treated very sensitively especially in their old age""
You are correct!!

My parents should know that i won leave them alone in their old age!! That's why i took that oath!!

Thanks re :)

Mustaf said...

We are working couple, so who would take care of our parents...

We live in modern days with so much freedom and liberty, we feel suffocated with their restrictions and everything...

Who will stay with us, my parents or your parents? Better we won't keep anyone with us...

Why the hell parents dont understand us? If they are dependent on us, they should abide by us and not the other way around...

Sigh..there are so many reasons and I can go on and on..

Only we forget that they have tolerated our everything logical or illogical when we did not understand logic.They have sacrificed their happiness to make us happy.Ask those who were not so blessed to have their parents love in their life, they would give away their everything just to get their parents back in their life and mostly we forget one day we will become old too!!

Shruti said...

@Mustaf
Hey i was initially shocked to see all those points! But later understood that was the reasons cited by these people for lodging their parents in OA home.

""mostly we forget one day we will become old too""
Very good!! This is what i wanted everyone to understand!!

I loved this comment! Good to see you around again!!

Swaram said...

OMG! This one truly sent shivers down my spine!

All I hope n sincerely pray is that God grant us gud-will not to become so hardhearted! N yeah, none of the two sets of parents I have by birth and marriage get to see such a day :(

Shruti said...

@Swaram
Yes, these are spine chilling!!
""none of the two sets of parents I have by birth and marriage get to see such a day""
Am really really happy to hear such words girlie!!

:)

BK Chowla, said...

The worst that can happen to the elderly is when they are put into the old age homes.A lot has been written and discussed on this subject in different forums.What parents have done or can do for the children should be beyond discussions...some day the children will also become grand parents.What goes around-comes around.

Shruti said...

@Chowla Ji
""What goes around-comes around.""
That's the concept of my story!

Anonymous said...

Hi shruti,
visit my blog, there's a surprise for you...

Shruti said...

@Shilpa
Thanks a ton!!!

Anonymous said...

kya likha hai shruti..
specially first para...
u are just....which word should I use...
great piece..
TAKE A BOW!!

Anonymous said...

and now the effect of this marvelous piece on me...
well it didn't surprised me much...but its surely made me realize two things:
one, I would never leave my parents
two, I would never marry!!

Shruti said...

@RSV
Man, am really blinking now!!
am Overwhelmed!!

Thanks a ton!!

Shruti said...

@RSV
""one, I would never leave my parents
two, I would never marry!!""
One--> that's great!
Two-->The problem is not when you marry someone rahul! make ur wife understand the importance of ur parents! And take an oath, that you will never leave them! Now its simple na!!

Paritosh said...

A very sad state of affairs... Dunno what else to say. Except, maybe, God please don't make me like Alok.

RAM said...

Wonderful writeup. I have also written about this in my office blogs and also couple of poems on it. Will share it with you later.

Old age is like child age. We should take care of our parents like a small child as they would be feeling that no one is caring about them. Its our responsibility. Nice writeup once again :)

Shruti said...

@Paritosh
Nice prayers re!!

Shruti said...

@Ram
Thanks and share later!!

Shruti said...

@Guria
Thanks for tagging!

Anu...:) said...

I guess its been ages since you've visited my blog la? :P

Shruti said...

@Anu
Am sorrry!!
I miss my blog-roll often!

Sathish Chandrasekaran (àźšàź€ீàź·் àźšàźš்àź€ிàź°àźšேàź•àź°àź©்) said...

Have witnessed worse atrocities ,than ur fictional work ,done to Old aged parents pa :(
i dunno how ppl cud jus throw them away ,i wish & hope that one day stringent laws are implemented to avoid this ........


ur fictional work was very moving
gr8 work pa :)
keep it up :)

Shruti said...

@Sathish
Yes ma true! Why old people aren't treated properly?!

Thanks for your comments!

Samvedna said...

very well aritten Shruti ! and true also...since we live in a society where majority of the times parents live with son and DIL, so this pledge would be more effective if its taken by girls for their inlaws.

As the children are loved by parent because they are their offsprings not because they are intelligent , efficient all that, same way parents must also get respect and care.

Shruti said...

@Antarman
Hi :)
Welcome to my blog!!
Thanks for your appreciations!!
Yes, when DIL's think them as their own parents the problems wont arise!!

:)

Unknown said...

ver nice post da!!mela vei:)

Shruti said...

@Sri
Thanks da :)

Anonymous said...

Hey congrats for being chosen by blogadda. see, what did i tell you? This post was deserving. I am a good judge at these things...


:)

shilpa

Shruti said...

@Shilpa
Thank you so much for your wishes girl :)
Yes you are a better judge!
I aggree!!

Prads said...

hey once again commenting here...


congrats for ur best post..
very happy to see ur post got picked...


keep rocking

Regards,
Prasee

Shruti said...

@Prasee
Thank You so much da :)

Guria said...

You got picked! Yipee! Congrats girlie!! :)

Shruti said...

@Guria
Yes!!
yay yay yay!! Am damn happy! my first post having 100 comments

Guria said...

Whoa! A maiden century! Take a bow girl!! :D

By the way, will you posting on the topic Indian Dream? Will it be at 11:55, huh? Waiting eagerly!!

Love, G.

Shruti said...

@Guria
Yeah!! Maiden Century!!
Whoa!! Am happy to the core!!

Yes writing it!! Will post before 11.59 this time i guess :P

Benny said...

Hello..Good post Shruthi..no wonder u r maturing as a writer! The best part s that its recognized too..I'm so happy for u! And I join hands with u in saying NO to age old homes and YES to taking care of our parents ourself! Cheers..100 comments..kalaku Shruthi:)

Shruti said...

@Benny
Hi hi hi!!
Sweet surprise!! If it was not you i would not have thought of writing a fiction! You are my motivator!
100+ comments has been my dream and i achieved it!

Thanks da!

Anonymous said...

With utmost satisfaction, i would like to inform you that this post of yours has been selected as a suiting piece to honor my newly installed wall of fame.
So, I would like you to take out some of your precious time and gimme a small writeup introducing this post in about 40-50 words to mail address:rahul938@gmail.com
I would also appreciate it if you could nominate some more posts(including yours) which can be pinned up on my wall.

yours truly
RSV

Shruti said...

@RSV
Thanks for this honor and will write up a review soon!

gils said...

i didnt like this theme..very bitter...i hate to call this as truth...and wish this remains a story and not otherwise

Shruti said...

@Gils
Hey you may not like this theme, but this happens in many places, frequently!!

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